Ah, this is why I love checking the P.O. Box -- if nobody's able to get to it for a few days, stuff piles up like mad, & then when we do check, it's like Christmas. And sometimes it's Christmas for other folks (namely, you, good readers of this here site), which is just as cool, except that sometimes it's Christmas and the present for said other folks is waiting to be delivered to its rightful recipient.

So yeah, this is one of those times. Totally out of the blue, we've received a free-free-free, real-live ticket to tomorrow night's (Saturday, May 23rd) Extra Golden show up at Walter's on Washington. And while the show's bound to be mind-blowing -- I've raved about these Kenyan/American popsters before, I know, but what I've heard from the band's latest release, Thank You Very Quickly, is even cooler than 2007's Hera Ma Nono. It's amazing to me that music like this can be so unabashedly cheery and sunshiny, so much so that you can practically hear the wide smiles plastered across band members Ian Eagleson, Onyago Wuod Omari, Opiyo Bilongo, & Alex Minoff's faces.

It's laid-back and earthy, and it flows along like a might-yet-meandering river, sure of its powers but not feeling the need to destroy everything in its path. This release, too, feels less like some kind of sociomusical experiment and more like the four musicians of Extra Golden are now doing it just because they love it. And they've had to persevere through some truly terrifying times lately, given the political situation in Kenya the past year or so; the title track of the album is apparently meant as a from-the-heart expression of gratitude to all the fans of the band who selflessly lent financial support to the band and their families during the unrest. It's beautiful and sunny and warm, with that awesomely "bright" guitar sound that makes me grin no matter what.

Now, with that out of the way, on to the critical part -- if you want the ticket, drop an email at "gaijin" at "spacecityrock dot com" with the Subject line "I Heart Kenya!". To give the inconstant site-watchers a bit of a chance, we'll pick a winner at random from whoever responds within the next hour or so. Here's the catch, though: since there's not enough time to mail it, if you want the ticket, I'm afraid you're going to have to come get it from yours truly, in-person, and I live/work in the general vicinity of the SW side of 610. If you live in Katy, you may be out of luck (unless you're willing to drive in). I'll get with the winner and work out the details.

Before I move on, I feel compelled to say thank you, Mr. Ben Kim of Austin, TX, whoever the heck you are. I've got no clue why you sent us the ticket (fan of the band, maybe?), but it will definitely be put to good use. And, um, if the ticket went to the wrong place...sorry?

Side Note: Opening for Extra Golden tomorrow night will be new-ish local boys Grandfather Child, which started out (I think) as a side-project band of Satin Hooks' Lucas Gorham but has expanded to include local singer/songwriter Robert Ellis, Super Unison honcho/ex-Panic in Detroit(-Smoking Popes!) rocker Ryan Chavez, & the Sideshow Tramps' Geoffrey Muller. Which is a wide-ranging pile of heavy, heavy musical talent, seriously, and it shows on the one track I've heard so far, "Waiting For You" (which is apparently due out in 7" form this July).

It's far, far more soulful and bluesy than I'd guessed it would be, marrying a warbly, distantly Dark Side of the Moon guitar to a deceptively huge Soul Brother Number One-esque voice, gospel backups, and a "Dark End of the Street" melancholy vibe. And holy fuck is it good. If this one song is any indication of how great these folks are (or, at the very least, have the potential to be), you do not want to skip the openers tomorrow night.

Labels: Free Stuff, H-Town News, Musical Crap, Pseudo-Reviews, Public Service Announcements, Things To Do, Things To Hear

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